Eastern Canada & USA - 2001

July - August 2001
A camping trip to the Canadian Maritimes and Eastern United States.

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON ADVENTURE Situated a mere 18 miles off the southern coast of Newfoundland, St Pierre and Miquelon are an enclave of French culture and cuisine here in North America. The meals produced by the restaurants of St. Pierre are a gourmet's dream, as are the products of the pastry shops and bakeries. We spent a night in Fortune before catching the early morning ferry to these French islands. The ferry ride turned out to be a nightmare! Rough seas, with waves crashing right over our boat, caused nearly everyone onboard (about 60 passengers) to spend most of the trip with their heads in a barf bag. By the time we arrived at St. Pierre, some of the passengers were so wiped out that they spent the whole day sitting on a park bench. Some refused to take the late afternoon ride back to Newfoundland, and checked into hotels and arranged flights out. We were lucky to have missed breakfast, and didn't get sick on the journey. We spent the day walking around the small French town, had salmon-filled French crepes for lunch, and then took the ferry back to Newfoundland. Luckily, the return trip was not at all like the morning trip -- the waves had diminished and the ferry rode the swells rather than smashing into each oncoming wave. The round trip ferry ride and the before and after nights in Fortune ended up costing us $400 in total. We didn't think it was worth the hassle and the expense, and wouldn't do it again.